Chipotle Chicken Tostadas

I went to a baby shower for our niece Ashley a few Sundays ago and made these yummy Chipotle Chicken Tostada bites. I wish I had pics from the shower, but I didn't bring my camera and haven't seen them yet. It was very girly (since shes having a girl) and was SO cute! I pinned this recipe on pinterest and it's from Apple A Day.

Ingredients-
1/4 c. plus 2 TBSP chipotle salsa, pureed (She recommended Herdez brand)

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used 2 chicken breasts)

2 avocados

zest and juice of one lime

2 TBSP red onion, finely minced

1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced

1 Roma tomato, seeds removed, finely chopped

2 TBSP fresh cilantro, minced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely minced (optional)

1/4 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

24 round tortilla chips

24 cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions:

1.  The night before serving, pour 1/4 c. pureed chipotle salsa over the chicken breast and allow to marinate, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.  Turn once during marinating time.

2.  Cook the chicken, covered, in a saute pan.  Allow to cool, then shred.  Mix shredded meat with remaining two TBSP salsa.

3.  While chicken is cooling, make guacamole by combining all remaining ingredients (except chips) in a nonreactive bowl.  Mix together with a fork, leaving only small chunks.  Adjust salt and pepper as desired.

4.  Just before serving, top each chip with a generous TBSP each of guacamole and chicken.  Top with a cilantro leaf and arrange on a platter.

They were a big hit and very tasty. I would try to wait until right before to put them out as the chip does got soggy after a little with the guacamole on it. Sorry these are iphone pics so not the clearest.

Chinese Chicken Salad

We were Christmas crafting this weekend so I can't show you any photos. We also had David's work Christmas party where we didn't take photos so I will share something else with you today. I made this salad for a work baby shower on Friday. This recipe comes from pinterest via the Amazing Meals blog. I doubled the recipe to have extra, but there is really no need. It makes a TON.

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 large or 2 medium chicken breasts

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

2 cups water

1 head cabbage, finely chopped

4 green onions, finely chopped

1 package chicken flavored ramen noodles, broken up (save the flavoring packet)

1/2 medium-sized green pepper, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup sliced almonds

To cook your chicken, she had this great technique. Mix soy sauce, sugar and water in a small sauce pan; bring to a boil. Add chicken breasts and cook over low heat for about an hour, until chicken is shreddable. Sorry if raw chicken grosses you out. I just wanted to show you what it looks like, I did have to flip it half way through to get the other side cooked.

Shred chicken and set aside. This can be done the day before if you want.This chicken really had great flavor.

Combine all of the vegetables, the ramen and the chicken in a large bowl. Add the sesame seeds and almonds. Toss with the dressing and chill one hour before serving.

Dressing

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

ramen flavoring packet

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pour over salad.

Freezer Meal- Chicken Cacciatore

This recipe comes to you from Stolen Moments Cooking and My sister. Michelle starts back to school (as a teacher) in a few weeks so she wanted to stock up on some meals to have during those first busy days back. This recipe looks great and Michelle says it tastes fantastic, too! She also doubled the recipe to have more for leftovers and dinner that night.
Chicken Cacciatore

• 3 T. Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 t. Italian seasoning
• 1 t. salt
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken pieces (breasts or thighs)
• 1 1/2 Big cans crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 c. chicken broth

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper, carrots and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until veggies are cooked but still a little crispy. Stir in seasonings.Add chicken to the skillet.

  Cover with tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a slow boil, cover and simmer at least 30 minutes. The chicken should be fully cooked by this point, but a longer simmer time will result in more flavor. Before serving, you can cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces if desired. Serve over spaghetti.

 Let your mixture cool down fully before you freeze it, this helps prevent freezer burn. You can store this in big ziplock freezer bags so it won't take up too much room. When you want to serve it, just defrost in the fridge and heat up in the microwave or in a pot on the stove.

Each bag should be enough for 2-3 servings.

I had to post a cute picture of Miss. Maddie coming home from the groomer. Look at her cute bow and bandana!

Pulled Chicken Tacos

 In honor of San Antonio week I wanted to post a recipe for some great chicken for tacos. We loved how many Mexican restaurants they had in San Antonio. One of my favorites was the drive thru place La Cabana, it was fast and tasted pretty great. This recipe comes from Pioneer Woman's tasty kitchen.

Ingredients-

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (to make extra just double recipe)
• 1 whole Lime, Divided Use
• 1 whole Onion, Quartered
• 1 whole Bay Leaf
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 1 cup Water
• 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Chipotle Adobo Sauce
• ½ teaspoons Cumin Powder
• ½ teaspoons Chili Powder
• ¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• Tortillas And Optional Taco Garnishes

-Salt & pepper the chicken breasts and soak with the juice of 1/2 of the lime to tenderize (30 minutes). Then, place chicken in a saucepan with the quartered onion, bay leaf, broth and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and poach for 15 minutes. That was an interesting process for me, but it worked great.

-Drain and transfer chicken to a bowl. Discard the bay leaf and onion. Shred the chicken with 2 forks.

-Add tomato paste and chipotle sauce, the juice from the other 1/2 of the lime, seasonings, and bit of salt. Work the mixture through the chicken evenly. 

They came out with just the right amount of spice to it. I loved them. Serve with tortillas and any or all of the following garnishments:
* 1 small red onion, diced
* Guacamole
* Shredded cheese
* Cilantro
* Sour Cream
* Salsa

Our last night in San Antonio we went to Los Barrios, a popular Mexican restaurant and it didn't disappoint. The salsa was perfect.

Our food was even better. It was soft chicken tacos with guacamole and the traditional beans and rice. They had this menu item called a puffy taco that I still am not sure what it is. I think its like a crispy taco, but maybe fried? We'll never know unless we go back!

Thai Chicken Pasta

 Last week I got a big salsa from Sams Club which I love, but sometimes it gets wasted because its so big. I decided to look up recipes that contained salsa. I got this Thai Chicken Pasta recipe from Recipe Shoebox.
Ingredients-
12 oz. uncooked spaghetti noodles (I used ronzoni garden harvest that is multi-colored)
2 cups salsa
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbs. honey
4 tsp. soy sauce
4 cups chicken breast, cubed and cooked
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

 Directions:  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile in large sauce pot, combine the salsa, peanut butter, orange juice, honey, and soy sauce.

 Heat until sauce thickens and add chicken

Heat through.  Drain pasta.  Serve with chicken mixture. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro (none of which I photographed it with). I understand that the plate of pasta above is gigantic and yes, I did eat the whole thing. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Garlic Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta

I have been cooking meals since Sunday for the freezer and for meals to take to the families staying in hotels in our neighborhood. I wanted something kids would eat and that would taste good. I have made 3 different meals x 2 (for later dates) so 6 total. I have also been making regular dinner meals on top of this so at least 3 meals per night since Sunday. I am a cooking fool! I am going to share the recipe for Garlic Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta. I have ruled this one out for kids as there is a lot of chunky things that I know I wouldn't eat as a kid (green peppers, and diced tomato chunks).

This is what my kitchen looked like gearing up my cooking extravaganza. I had to boil my split chicken breasts and shred the chicken off for all the meals during the week. It was nice to do that all at once on Sunday when I had a little more time.
Garlic Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta-
The ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups cooked chicken diced (or you can cook it before you start your recipe, check instructions)
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
2-3 gloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
3/4 cup red or orange bell peppers, chopped (I used green as they are always cheaper)
1 can (14.5-oz) diced tomatoes (undrained)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (use less for a milder flavor)
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2- 1 lb bow tie pasta, cook as directed on package (depending on how much you love pasta)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (may use fresh parsley)
Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions: In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high heat and saute chicken until done. Sprinkle with salt and remove from skillet. Keep warm. In same skillet, saute garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil until golden. Add green onions and peppers and cook an additional 2 minutes.

 Add tomatoes, broth, red pepper, cornstarch and salt. Heat to boiling then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine chicken, pasta and cilantro. Sprinkle generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 I used the disposable pans since I don't know who is going to eat these.

Combine everything right in your pan.

I put these in the freezer and then will thaw them and reheat them in the oven at 350 for approx 20-30 mins. I might need to add some more liquid depending on if my noodles ate it up.

"Olive Garden Has Nothing On Me"

I declare this week on the blog- Michelle Week! She is way more interesting than me this week (probably every week) so I will share things going on with her. She really needs to start a blog, but she doesn't think she has anything to post on. As you can see, that's not true. Last night she called me and said "Olive Garden Has Nothing On Me!" She has been wanting to make Chicken and Gnocchi Soup that Olive Garden has for a little while now and she got a great recipe from our friend Jen from Ehow.com.

 Ingredients-
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cream (she used half and half)
 ½ cup celery, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup carrots, finely shredded
½ cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon parsley
Freshly grated parmesan cheese - optional
1 pound potato gnocchi - can buy this in the gourmet section of many supermarkets or find a recipe for homemade in the resource section

Directions-
1. Sauté the onion, celery, garlic, spinach, carrots in the olive oil till the onion is nearly translucent.

2. Add the chicken, chicken broth, and spices. Bring to a boil.

3. Slowly add the gnocchi into the boiling broth.

 

4. Turn down the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

(If you want a thicker soup, add 1 tablespoon corn starch to the cream before you add it into the broth). Add the cream. Slowly allow the mixture to come to a boil and then turn it off.

5. Serve in heated bowls. You may wish to serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese on the top.

Doesn't it look so great! She did such a good job! She rated it an A+++. Her recommendation if you are short on time is just to have your vegetables already cut up and ready to go the day before so you can just plop everything in. I can't wait to try this, I think I'll make this next week.

Freezer Cooking!

Do you ever feel that when you get home from work, make dinner and clean up that its time for bed? Well, it is getting dark earlier so that doesn't help. I love to make dinner every night and sometimes it takes too long so I've been reading up about Batch Freezer Cooking. A bunch of the food blogs I read talk about this all the time. I have done it a few times, but not in the capacity that they are speaking of. You can spend 1 day and prep/make a bunch of meals for your  freezer. I know what some of you are thinking. "I don't eat leftovers" or "It will go bad in there". Those are both false statements. Life As Mom has GREAT posts about freezer cooking, so start by clicking here.

Let's get started! Click here to read more and download a free freezer cooking planning sheet. Need more information? Here is some more reading for ya.
So, what can you make and freeze? Let me show you a recipe I recently made. I made 1 for me and 1 for a friend who had a baby recently so don't forget to double the recipe).

Baked Chicken-Bacon Alfredo from Our Best Bites-
Ingredients- (You can double the recipe if you want to make more than 1 dish)
8 oz. penne or bowtie pasta

1 jar of sun dried tomato alfredo (or any alfredo you like)

2 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped (about 2 c. chopped chicken) I marinated mine in Italian dressing.

6 oz. (1/2 package) cooked bacon, chopped

1 14-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 c. chopped green onions (about 1 decent-sized bunch)

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

 Here are the cut up grilled chicken and green onions.

 Artichoke and diced up bacon.

Prepare pasta according to package directions.When pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce. Toss with chopped chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, green onions, and 1/2 c. mozzarella. Season to taste.

Transfer mixture to an 8x8" baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese. I used a glass 9 x 13 because I didn't have the other.

Let it cool to room temperature. When freezing seal with a tight top or aluminum foil. Once you are ready to cook it you can take it out of the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator. Bake it at 350 for 20-25 mins. Now wouldn't you like to come home from work and pop this in the oven and be ready in 20mins with no work?! Here is what else you can cook and freeze: meatballs, shredded/diced chicken, meatloaf, stew meat, pizza dough, baked ziti(which I made last night for our neighbor who just had a baby), lasagna, plus many more!

Chicken and Broccoli Stuffed Shells with Alfredo Sauce

I decided to finally cook this week and was on a roll. I made a nice big pasta salad for our work picnic today and also these amazing stuffed shells. I got the recipe from www.eatathomecooks.com. This will be my next meal to cook when we have people over for dinner. It makes a lot and is SO good.
Ingredients-

• 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 3-4 cups cooked and salted broccoli
• 2 cups finely shredded mozzarella
• 1 box jumbo shells, cooked according to package directions
• 1-2 jars alfredo sauce (I used classicos sun dried tomato alfredo)

 Chop your broccoli up small enough to fit into the shells, and I microwaved mine with a little water to cook them for 4 mins or so.

 Mix the chicken, broccoli and mozzarella together in a bowl.  Fill the shells with the mixture.

 Spread a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Lay the shells in the dish in a single layer.

 I used half of the shells and froze the other half. To freeze: place the filled shells in a plastic zip top freezer bag. To cook them, thaw the shells in the refrigerator and then fix them as you did the fresh batch.

Pour the sauce over the top.

 Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or till hot and bubbly. Enjoy!

Chicken Pesto Panini's

I've linked to this recipe on the blog before, but I decided to show you how I make them. The recipe is from Kraft foods and it's so easy. If you don't have a panini maker you can use a large skillet. We have had an abundance of basil from our garden so I love to make pesto with it. I don't love how expensive pine nuts are though (I need to look into buying them in bulk at Sams or somewhere).

Ingredients

1/2 cup shredded rotisserie-cooked chicken (I just cut up the whole chicken and make lots of sandwiches or save it for other meals.

1 Tbsp.  Pesto

2 slices Multi-grain bread (I used Italian bread cut into inch slices)

1/4 cup  Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese 

PREHEAT panini grill to high heat. Mix chicken and pesto; spread onto 1 of the bread slices.
TOP with cheese and remaining bread slice.
GRILL 3 to 5 min. or until cheese is melted and sandwich is golden brown on both sides.
I also added a few pieces of lettuce to mine.

For the leftover pesto, if you any, a great trick is to put them in ice cube trays and freeze them. As soon as they are frozen pop them out and put them in an airtight container or zip-lock bag for later back in the freezer. You can then use it as individual toppings for other panini's, sandwiches, pasta, whatever.

I made these while David was out of town and I was a cooking machine. I brought some in for the girls at work. These are great for an easy dinner meal with side of chips or fresh fruit and veges.

Santa Fe Chicken Wraps and Mexican Rice

Where did the weekend go? Oh, that's right, it was spent in the car! It was worth it though, we have Michelle and the animals safely in Georgia. It is pretty much going to be a zoo this week at our house. We have Molly (our dog), Lola (David and Dana's Dog), Maddie (Michelle's Dog) and Bella (Shell's Cat). Maddie is having a hard time adjusting to the big dogs, but it will get better. We will have visiting hours at the zoo and field trips to the lake.

I am posting delicious Mexican Recipes for you to try. This was very easy to make (crock pot) and the rice is AMAZING.
Santa Fe Chicken Wraps from Fairhope Foodie-

1-1/2 lbs. chicken breasts (I used 3)
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz. frozen corn (or the kernels from 3 ears)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped (whites and a little bit of the green)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, Rotel, cilantro, scallion, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and salt and pepper in the crock pot. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and nestle down in the juices. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 6 hours. 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust seasoning if needed. You can serve this over rice and top with desired toppings, or wrapped in a tortilla. 

Next up is the Mexican Rice from the Pioneer Woman! I had fun making this and anytime I make a Mexican dish, this is a must for a side.  

• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• ½ whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cups Long Grain Rice
• 1 can Rotel (10 Ounce)
• 1 can Whole Tomatoes (14.5 Ounce)
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (more If Needed)
• 1 teaspoon Cumin (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add rice and garlic. Stir constantly, making sure the rice doesn’t burn. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes.

Add Ro-tel and tomatoes. Stir to combine and let cook for 2 minutes.

Finally, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 additional minutes or until rice is done. Add more liquid as needed; rice shouldn’t be sticky. Just before serving, sprinkle lots of freshly chopped cilantro over the top. Serve immediately.

Here is all the yummy food. The rice makes enough for an army so it's great for guests. I would say about 8 side servings.