Easy Chicken Fajitas

Recipe: Easy Chicken Fajitas

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INGREDIENTS

1. 1 teaspoon pure chile powder
2. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
6. 1 tablespoon cornstarch
7. 1/4 cup water
8. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
9. 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips
10. 1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
11. 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
12. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
13. 8 flour tortillas, warmed in the microwave
14. Shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa and sour cream, for serving

1. In a resealable plastic bag, combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
3. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large bowl and serve with the warmed tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream and lime wedges.

red thai curry noodles

Serves 4

2 13 oz cans of coconut milk (at least one can needs to be full fat, not light)
1-2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 bunch of cilantro, stems and leaves chopped separately
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
3 cups of chicken stock
6 lime leaves
1 tbsp ginger root, grated
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 8oz package of wide rice noodles
2 cups bok choy, chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
4 green onions, minced

Preheat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. From the full fat can of coconut milk, scoop the thick coconut cream from the top of the can into it. Add the red curry paste as the cream melts into coconut oil. The mixture will start to sizzle as the oil then heats up. Add the chopped cilantro stems and chicken and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Add the coconut juice from the first can as well as the entire contents of the second can of coconut milk, chicken stock, lime leaves, and fish sauce. Grate the ginger into the broth (easier to do if the ginger root is frozen).  Simmer for 20 minutes, until the broth has begun to thicken slightly. Remove from the heat.

Place the rice noodles, bok choy and bean sprouts into the broth where they will quickly soften in about 5 minutes. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the cilantro leaves and stir gently.

Ladle into large bowls and garnish with the green onions and the remaining cilantro.


Click here for printable version of Red Thai Curry Noodles
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THE RESULTS?
My husband and I loved these noodles.  We love spicy Thai food.  I found that 1 tbsp of curry paste was perfect for me: warm with lip tingling sensations.  2 tbsp was just a tad much, but my husband LOVED it with 2 tbsp of curry paste.  I would suggest starting with 1 tbsp of curry paste and see how you like it.  You can always add more as it's cooking.  Made even with 1 tbsp of curry paste the dish was too spicy for my young kids, so I steeped some plain rice noodles in boiling water and drained them.  I tossed them with a smidgen of chicken and bok choy from the pot...it was just enough to give the noodles flavor, protein and veggies but the sauce was so diluted they didn't complain of spiciness.

Grilled pork tenderloin

Serves 6

Mmmm, look at that amazing caramelized glaze on the outside of the pork!

 Glaze:

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp liquid honey
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grated gingerroot (easier to do when frozen)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of one lemon

3 pork tenderloins (12 oz / 340 g each)

To make the glaze, combine all the ingredients into a bowl except for the pork tenderloins and mix well.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.  Spray grill rack with cooking spray or lightly oil.  Grill the pork for about 16 minutes, turning occasionally.  Pork should be just slightly pink in the center.  Do not overcook pork or it will be dry.

Brush pork generously with glaze during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.  Baste over and over again with the sauce.  The more you baste the more flavor it will have. Once cooked, place pork on a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.  Cut pork into medallions and serve. 

Lime coconut curry chicken

Serves 4

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp curry powder
1 14 oz can light or regular coconut milk
1 4 oz. can diced green chiles
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and garlic and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring for 1 minute, until it is fragrant. Add the coconut milk, chiles, lime juice and zest, bring to a simmer, and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, stir in the green onions and cilantro.  Serve over rice.

salsa crock pot chicken

Serves 4-6

1 lb bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (or use chicken breast, whatever your preference.  It is not necessary to be boneless)
1 10 oz can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1 package taco seasoning (or 2-3 tbsp of homemade)
1 cup salsa

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup sour cream


Place chicken, soup, taco seasoning and salsa in slow cooker and stir to combine.  Turn on low for 6-8 hours. 

When you get home from work, remove chicken and shred.  Discard the bones.  Stir in black beans, corn, and sour cream, as well as the shredded chicken, turn slow cooker up to high and replace the lid.  Put a pot of rice on to cook.  Serve creamy salsa chicken over rice.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

(about 9 servings)

1 medium zucchini, sliced

1 medium yellow squash, sliced

2 tomatoes, quartered

1 medium onion, sliced

6-8 cloves of garlic

1 red bell pepper, sliced

extra virgin olive oil

salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

no-boil lasagna noodles

24-oz small curd cottage cheese

2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

32-oz marinara sauce, homemade or your favorite store bought brand

fresh spinach

Turn your oven on to broil. Cut your veggies and place them on a cookie sheet. Leave the peel on the garlic cloves while you roast them. Drizzle the veggies with the olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss them with your hands to coat evenly. Place under the broiler for about 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through. They are done when they start to look dark brown (but not burned) on the edges. Remove the peels from the garlic and finely chop. I like to remove the tomato skins as well. Chop tomatoes and red bell peppers into chunks. Place these back on the cookie sheet and toss to mix.

To assemble:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Put a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the pan. Then put a layer of noodles followed by a layer of cottage cheese, then a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and finally a layer of roasted veggies. Top the veggies with sauce and start the process over again. You will want to divide all ingredients into 3 equal portions because that is how many layers you will make. The top layer will be sauce and then mozzarella cheese. Cover the whole thing with foil and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Allow the lasagna to sit for 10-20 minutes before serving to let it set. (I was obviously to excited to let mine set before I served it!) We LOVE to serve ours on a bed of fresh spinach, the spinach gets slightly wilted but not over cooked this way. It is so good!

*You could also use carrots, mushrooms, kale, etc...

cobb turkey burgers w avacado ranch dressing

Cobb Club-Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Green Ranch Dressing

Serves 4

Tags: brunch dinner lunch "sammies," wraps and subs fruit rice, grains and breads pork vegetables

Submitted by

Rachael Ray

on 05/19/11

Ride the wave of popular stuffed burgers with Rach's unique adaptation of a Cobb salad to a burger. Serve with Double-Baked Crazy-Crisp Oven Fries.

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INGREDIENTS

• 8 slices good-quality bacon
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, 2 finely chopped and 1 grated, divided
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 1 avocado
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 3 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
• Tender lettuce leaves, such as butter, leaf or Bibb
• 4 slices ripe tomato, about 1/2-inch thick
• Club rolls or brioche rolls, split

PREPARATION

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the bacon slices on a slotted broiler pan and bake to crisp, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high, sauté the onions and finely chopped garlic in a drizzle of EVOO until softened, 5 minutes. Place in a mixing bowl and cool. Once cool, add the meat; season with salt, pepper and thyme and mix well. Divide the meat into four portions and shape each portion into two thin patties.

Top each patty with a mound of cheese crumbles, then sandwich them together with another thin patty and press them together at the edges to mold them into burgers. Drizzle with EVOO and turn the heat back on under the skillet to medium-high. When hot, add the patties and cook for 6 minutes on each side.

For the green ranch dressing, place the avocado in a blender with the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper, the grated garlic, sour cream, buttermilk, Tabasco and chives. Process into a smooth dressing.

Serve the burgers on bun bottoms topped with lettuce, tomato and bacon slices. Slather the roll tops with green ranch dressing and set into place.

Serve these stuffed burgers with Rachael's Double-Baked Crazy-Crisp Oven Fries alongside. (Bake the bacon while the fries are in the oven for the first time at the lower oven temperature; remove the bacon once crisp along with the fries, then bring the heat up to 425°F and allow the oven to fully reheat to the higher temperature.)

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bundles

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bundles
Ingredients
4 whole scallions, trimmed
1 ¼ cups diced low-sodium cooked ham
½ cup torn or coarsely chopped cooked chicken breast
¼ cup diced Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon diced shallots
1 tablespoon sliced scallions, white and green parts
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 sheets phyllo dough
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a wide skillet filled with simmering water over medium-high heat, blanch the whole scallions until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, soften the scallions in a microwave-safe dish covered with plastic wrap. Microwave on high power for 2 to 3 minutes.) Drain and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, toss together the ham, chicken, cheese, shallots, sliced scallions, flour, salt, and pepper.

Brush each sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter and stack the sheets. Cut the phyllo stack into quarters, and spoon equal amounts of the ham-chicken mixture in the center of each quarter. Pull the corners of the quarters up over the filling and tie them closed with the blanched scallions. Brush the bundles with melted butter. Arrange the bundles on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and the filling is heated through.

Korean Skirt Steak

Korean Skirt Steak
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
2 cups soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 pounds skirt steak

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, ginger, garlic, sugar, and sesame oil. Place the steak in a large casserole pan or Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the steak. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, but no more than 6.

Remove the steak from fridge and bring to room temperature.

Heat grill or grill pan to high.

Pat the meat dry with a paper towel, then season with salt and pepper. Place on a lightly oiled hot grill. Cook for four minutes on each side for rare. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5 to 10 minutes.

Sweet Pork with Cilantro Lime Slaw

Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

I have found my new "company dinner". Easy, tasty, and just fabulous. I met this Little Ray of Sunshine a few weeks ago, Summer Elrod, who was distributing a recipe for:

Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw





Wow. I can't even fully describe the sweet/saucy/crunchy zing that invades your mouth during your first bite. It's like Mexican Food with some sass. I'm stumped............you just have to try it to understand it.

(I begged Summer to let me post this recipe here for all to enjoy...and she sweetly agreed.)

Here is Summer's exact recipe:


Cilantro Lime Slaw
1 package Cole Slaw or whole shredded cabbage (Summer used red cabbage in her demonstration......so I bought red cabbage too. I'm sure it's healthier. Or something.)
1 c. Mayonnaise
1 c. Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. minced Garlic
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper or a dash of your favorite hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Lime Juice
1/2 tsp. Cumin

Combine all but slaw in a mini food processor or chop and combine yourself. Mix desired amount of dressing with slaw mix no more than 30 minutes before serving.
(I used the above recipe with only 1/2 a head of red cabbage and it was perfect for my taste. I liked the slaw to be more juicy. And we didn't need as much slaw because I didn't make as much meat as the recipe below.)


Roasted Sweet Pork
6 (approx) pounds Pork butt/shoulder
1 19 oz. can Red Enchilada Sauce
1 can Dr. Pepper (20 oz)
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 Clove Garlic or 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 c. Brown Sugar
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine all ingredients into your crockpot and cook on low overnight or until meat is tender.

(I only had a 2 pound Pork Roast in my freezer and used that with the above recipe. There was way too much sauce. Ooops. But it still worked perfectly. I will buy a bigger piece of meat next time and freeze the extra meat, as she recommended. You could also half the recipe if you're using less meat, but I didn't want a half a can of enchilada sauce or soda or whatever else......just going to waste. Anyway, just to let you know.)

panko crusted tilapia

{Panko Crusted Tilapia}

4 tilapia fillets
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 garlic salt
2 tbsp flour

In a bowl, whisk egg, then place it in a shallow bowl or on a plate.

Mix flour, garlic salt, and lemon pepper and place it on a plate.

Mix panko and parmesan cheese and place it on a plate.

Dip fillets into flour mixture, and coat well.  Next, dip in egg mixture, then in panko crumb mixture and coat well.

Place on a sprayed cookie sheet at bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes or until fish is flaky and done.

This would also be great with chicken!

Filet au Poivre

Recipe: Filet au Poivre

Prep Time: 5 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 10 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 2

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Ingredients

• 2 whole Beef Fillets Or Other Good Steaks
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• ¼ cups Brandy
• 2 Tablespoons (additional) Brandy
• ½ cups Heavy Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Good Peppercorns, Crushed

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt butter in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, brown steaks on both sides, about 45 seconds per side. Place skillet into the hot oven for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and remove steaks to a separate plate.

Return pan to stovetop over low heat. Add Dijon and brandy, then whisk together. Add heavy cream and crushed peppercorns, whisking to combine. Allow to bubble for about 45 seconds, then remove from heat.

Spoon sauce over steaks and serve.

Scrumptious!